[Longtimemopar]

I have read the various posts about people needing their battery/batteries(ESS) replaced and are sometimes told by dealerships that they are backordered and it might be several weeks to get them in. I have also seen several posts about people saying there are non-MOPAR batteries that could be substituted. So if someone was far from home and needed to replace their battery/batteries, this is the info I would like to know:

*what are some of the batteries that could be substituted?

*what are the replacement steps/procedures?

*what tools are needed to do the replacement?

I apologize for not having answers for all these questions, but with all the battery issues, I think the answers will be posted soon... :smile2:

 

[jerry17]

Another question: Except for those who have run past 36K miles in less than two years, all of the vans are in the 3/36K warranty. Will someone get reimbursed for a non-Mopar battery........and can an owner ask a dealer to do that without incurring costs?

 

[Longtimemopar]

I would like to keep this thread easy to follow. Need help from owners with a service manual.
Do not assume these steps are correct yet.

1. Remove air filter snorkel that is above the battery. Lift up at the front of the snorkel then pull it out of the air filter box.
2. Remove the 13mm nut on the negative terminal. Circled in orange.
3. All the other nuts are 10mm
4. There are 10mm nuts for the ESS strap/hold down and for the BIG battery. A 10" extension would make the removal much easier. These nuts are at the bottom of the batteries. Circled with light blue.

Please someone with a service manual add to/correct any information.

Once again, if you are having starting issues and are under warranty, have the dealership do the diagnoses and replacement. I would only do the replacement in the event of being far from home and the dealership says the battery/batteries are not available.

 

[PacificaMinivanFan]

With help from the owner's manual, my wife and I have trained ourselves in how to jump start the vehicle in the event the battery dies, and we have a set of jumper cables onboard. Of interest is the connection post in the engine compartment near the lower left of the windshield for the negative jumper cable. But thank you for the tips above. Nice to know.

 

[vossman77]

So confused when first reading this, because I forgot about the gas Pacifica.

I should point out that in the Pacifica Hybrid the high voltage battery is under the second row seats and the low voltage 12v battery is the back. I had to replace the the 12v battery and it requires completely removing the back panel where the vacuum cleaner is located in the gas version.

FCA clearly do not expect to have THE owner touch the 12v battery in the Hybrid version. In order to even measure the positive terminal with my volt meter I had to pop the hood and connect to the jump start mounts.

So anyway check your manual not all Pacificas are created equal.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[SciTchr]

So confused when first reading this, because I forgot about the gas Pacifica.

I should point out that in the Pacifica Hybrid the high voltage battery is under the second row seats and the low voltage 12v battery is the back. I had to replace the the 12v battery and it requires completely removing the back panel where the vacuum cleaner is located in the gas version.

FCA clearly do not expect to have THE owner touch the 12v battery in the Hybrid version. In order to even measure the positive terminal with my volt meter I had to pop the hood and connect to the jump start mounts.

So anyway check your manual not all Pacificas are created equal.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

With a gas Pacifica battery failure, a replacement battery (or with ESS possibly an additional battery) may get someone back on the road and can be a relatively easy and quick fix if the standard type of battery is available somewhere. If I were told that a battery under warranty was on back order and another battery was available, I would probably buy an available battery that would work and not worry about the prorated part of the battery warranty. It wouldn't take long to spend more than that amount on a rental if a loaner wasn't provided through the dealer or the extended warranty.

Thanks @Longtimemopar for trying to find out the information to replace a battery yourself.
@II Kings 9:20 used a Mopar replacement 730 CCA battery for the main battery in a 2017 gas Pacifica under warranty.

A hybrid Pacifica battery is a different story and there are many other threads for hybrid battery issues.
Thanks for reminding owners to check their manuals.

 

[Longtimemopar]

:frown2:... disappointed... I would have thought that somebody would have added to this by now...

Yesterday I remote started my Pac, got in behind the steering wheel and the engine shut off :surprise: :surprise::surprise::surprise: I immediately thought, "I'm going to need to replace my battery!"

I had a small flashlight in my pocket with my fob. I GUESS that it pushed button and shut the engine off...

...ANYHOW... come on, lets get the info we might need... please :smile2:

 

[SciTchr]

:frown2:.....disappointed....I would have thought that somebody would have added to this by now.....

Yesterday I remote started my Pac, got in behind the steering wheel and the engine shut off :surprise: :surprise::surprise::surprise: I immediately thought, "I'm going to need to replace my battery!"
I had a small flashlight in my pocket with my fob. I GUESS that it pushed button and shut the engine off...
.....ANYHOW.....come on, lets get the info we might need......please :smile2:

As far as which battery to use as a replacement, doesn't the person in the store look it up in a book or online? (Vans without ESS didn't come with AGM batteries.) This is the only post I remember seeing with specific batteries that might work: https://www.pacificaforums.com/forum/489346-post9.html

 

[Longtimemopar]

As far as which battery to use as a replacement, doesn't the person in the store look it up in a book or online? (Vans without ESS didn't come with AGM batteries.)
This is the only post I remember seeing with specific batteries that might work.
https://www.pacificaforums.com/forum/489346-post9.html

I would still like someone that has the service manual to tell the exact steps for replacing the battery/batteries. It looks like there is one nut that holds the 'power distribution center' to the battery. Do you remove the ESS battery before the start battery? Or the other way around? Will the Pacifica run without the ESS battery? What is a replacement for the ESS battery?

 

[Longtimemopar]

Any help on this:
@stop-eject
@GoWFO
@seo68
@TomB985
@BrettP
and anybody else that might have access to factory service information on servicing the Gas Engine battery/batteries ???

 

[Longtimemopar]

AGM battery information:
https://batteryuniversity.com/index.php/learn/article/absorbent_glass_mat_agm

under 'limitations', in the article it mentions must be stored in a charged condition. So for those Pacificas that have sat and not been started for a prolonged period of time, the battery was probably degraded.

 

[BrettP]

Any help on this:
@stop-eject
@GoWFO
@seo68
@TomB985
@BrettP
and anybody else that might have access to factory service information on servicing the Gas Engine battery/batteries ???

Oh, I’m definitely watching this thread. I would love, LOVE, if someone said removing the ESS battery disables that function without penalty. My LIMITED is pre-ESS and we decided NOT to buy lifetime warranty because we were already planning to trade in for another Pacifica around 2019/2020 when all the bugs were addressed but I just don’t want ESS. Having a gas engine shut off at traffic lights during rush hour just gives me the creeps on rental cars I drive. Idling at traffic lights is where I guage my engine’s health, haha. I do have a friend with the DVD but it is pre-ESS and might not be relevant to your question even for the regular battery which is mounted directly next door to ESS battery so, like you, I am waiting for a more knowledgable 2018 owner to answer before chiming in. Interested for sure.

 

[stop-eject]

This is what I found on the Gas van battery
Replacement: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1ACYtXAPbLCEm3LBHGwozBo4Qx082jBnC
ESS battery replacement: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1gZHXvIZMeyUcgyhGavIS5lTrNfizcXtQ

Idle draw test: IGNITION-OFF DRAW TEST.pdf

Air cleaner removal (referenced in the other documents) Air Cleaner Removal and Installation.pdf

I have a Hybrid, so no additional insight.

 

[Longtimemopar]

This is what I found on the Gas van battery
Replacement: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1ACYtXAPbLCEm3LBHGwozBo4Qx082jBnC
ESS battery replacement: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1gZHXvIZMeyUcgyhGavIS5lTrNfizcXtQ

Idle draw test: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1Of2HGg3pbO2IaxfB5C7pdB2Is_tB685H

Air cleaner removal (referenced in the other documents) https://drive.google.com/open?id=1A1QmM1dEskJ_em6s10CuNm2mIiHhiNGq

I have a Hybrid, so no additional insight.

Thank you @stop-eject, this is what I have been wanting to see. And as I thought, it is slightly more complicated than a 'traditional' battery change. I had also wondered is the corner brace needed to be removed.

This should be stickied and added to the knowledge base of the Forum.

Maybe we will eventually have someone do a step-by-step with pictures/notes and tools required. :smile2:

 

[salyers890]

I don't see anything complicated here. Air intake in the way so remove it, then it's just disconnect it, remove tie down, replace battery and reverse disassembly.

I'm curious it would be beneficial to figure out a way to channel more air to the area someway, as heat will kill the batteries before anything.

 

[II Kings 9:20]

This is what I found on the Gas van battery
Replacement: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1ACYtXAPbLCEm3LBHGwozBo4Qx082jBnC
ESS battery replacement: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1gZHXvIZMeyUcgyhGavIS5lTrNfizcXtQ

Idle draw test: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1Of2HGg3pbO2IaxfB5C7pdB2Is_tB685H

Air cleaner removal (referenced in the other documents) https://drive.google.com/open?id=1A1QmM1dEskJ_em6s10CuNm2mIiHhiNGq

I have a Hybrid, so no additional insight.

Thanks. I saved the PDF as I will replace the Mopar replacement battery at 2 years rather than my usual 3. I will use my "go to" Exide from Home Depot and get back on a 3 year schedule with it.

 

[PacificaMinivanFan]

Thank you @stop-eject , this is what I have been wanting to see. And as I thought, it is slightly more complicated than a 'traditional' battery change. I had also wondered is the corner brace needed to be removed.

This should be stickied and added to the knowledge base of the Forum.

Maybe we will eventually have someone do a step-by-step with pictures/notes and tools required. :smile2:

+1 to the sticky idea! And thanks to both LongTimeMopar and Stop-Eject for this.

 

[II Kings 9:20]

Not to change the subject but this makes me wonder where you would connect jumper cables on the gas version if you had a dead battery?

Here's where I hooked up my oil extractor which is where I would jump it.

Red to the red jump post and black to the hood latch.

 

[chetter]

I just replaced the battery today on my 17 Touring L which was a rental in its prior duty (I bought it with 46k miles earlier this month). I went with an Interstate at Costco at $143.99. The procedure was pretty cut and dry- I was worried about the intake thingy but it came off without a problem. 10mm on all the nuts.

The van had died a week after I bought it. Since I knew the van was on the dealer lot since May I put it on a tender until fully charged but that did not seem to help as it was very inconsistent with doors opening when the ignition was off and the horn was muffled when setting the alarm from the keyfob. It also had a hard time turning over at start.

 

[SciTchr]

I just replaced the battery today on my 17 Touring L which was a rental in its prior duty (I bought it with 46k miles earlier this month). I went with an Interstate at Costco at $143.99. The procedure was pretty cut and dry- I was worried about the intake thingy but it came off without a problem. 10mm on all the nuts.

The van had died a week after I bought it. Since I knew the van was on the dealer lot since May I put it on a tender until fully charged but that did not seem to help as it was very inconsistent with doors opening when the ignition was off and the horn was muffled when setting the alarm from the keyfob. It also had a hard time turning over at start.

Thanks for giving me an idea of a battery that might work. I'm expecting that mine will need replaced sometime. Date of van manufacture? (on driver's door edge) ESS?